


This Thing Called Love

by AlannaofRoses, RogueofShadows



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Bat Brothers, Dick Grayson is Batman, Gen, Hurt Dick Grayson
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-31
Updated: 2019-08-31
Packaged: 2020-10-03 17:44:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20456900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlannaofRoses/pseuds/AlannaofRoses, https://archiveofourown.org/users/RogueofShadows/pseuds/RogueofShadows
Summary: When Dick and Damian go to capture Two-Face, it doesn't go exactly as planned. When Batman sacrifices himself to protect Robin, Damian begins to re-evaluate what it means to be Dick Grayson's brother.Story based on a roleplay created by myself and RogueofShadows.





	1. Partners

Dick made his way down to the new cave under the Penthouse, his steps slow and reluctant. He isn’t sure why, exactly, but tonight for some reason the idea of being ‘the Batman’ for the rest of his vigilante career had hit him with all the subtlety of a truck. The first few nights, the weight of the cowl had been unwelcome and unfamiliar, the cape- rather than letting his fly- had seemed to tether him to solid ground. The thought of one more night under the weight of Bruce’s legacy was nearly debilitating. He wasn’t sure how he was supposed to endure years. 

Damian was already suited up and waiting for him. Robin seemed eager tonight- or at least as eager as Damian would dare let show. Dick couldn’t help but hope the boy was warming up to their partnership. He’d been prickly, stubborn, and even downright rude on occasion. Dick hadn’t figured out how to read him yet, how to tell what was grief, what was anger, what was fear. Damian took after his father that way, always hiding his softer emotions under layers of thorns. 

The thought of Bruce made Dick pause a moment, swallowing hard. He’d barely been able to stand the Batcave those first few days, always expecting to turn and see the man working at the giant computer or bent over files. Dick was an orphan now twice over, old wounds ripped wide open. He wasn’t sure they’d heal, this time. 

Gathering himself, making sure Robin didn’t catch sight of his momentary distress, Dick moved to the cases and pulled out the Batsuit Alfred had helped him modify.

Damian was waiting impatiently by the Batmobile as he suited up. Dick found himself torn between frustration and amusement as the boy tapped his fingers restlessly. On the one hand, it was the type of childish behavior Damian rarely let show, which could only mean the younger boy was starting to let down his guard around Dick. On the other hand, Damian’s obvious impatience grated on Dick’s already frayed nerves. It certainly didn’t help that there were so many pieces to the Batsuit to keep track of. This Batsuit, even this lightened and modified one, was at least three times as heavy as the Nightwing costume. World’s best acrobat Dick might be, but even he couldn’t do the quadruple in this monstrosity. 

Finally all the buckles and straps were fastened. Dick raised the cowl with only a moment’s reluctance. He shifted his face awkwardly, adjusting to the feel of the nearly full-face mask. Deeming it good enough, he stepped to the computer, taking one last look at the files laid out on the desk. He fixed tonight’s targets and routes in his mind one more time before finally turning to face Robin. 

“Took you long enough.” Robin raised his chin. 

Dick sighed. “All set?” He asked, his voice not yet changed by the voice modulator. “Final checks complete?”

“Everything is ready, Grayson.” 

Dick nodded. This Robin tended to be meticulous about his gear, but it never hurt to ask. Dick had had nightmares for weeks after an untested grapple had nearly cut Tim’s Robin career as short as Jason’s. 

Damian leapt into the Batmobile and buckled in. That had been a fight too, but Dick had refused to drive anywhere if the boy wasn’t wearing his seatbelt and Damian had fairly quickly caved. 

“Are we going to just sit in the cave forever or are we going?” Damian snapped.

Dick had to pause and bite his tongue. He wasn’t entirely sure what had gotten into the baby bat today, but Dick was almost regretting replacing Tim right now. At least Tim’s Robin was respected him. Frankly, Dick had gotten tired of Damian’s attitude on day two. He’d had to keep reminding himself that it wasn’t the boy’s fault. The League wasn’t exactly known for healthy emotional development. Just ask Jason. And Damian had made progress- slow, halting progress- but progress nonetheless. 

Dick took a deep breath through his nose and wondered if it was really the best idea to go after Two-Face tonight after all. Harvey Dent was one of Dick’s least favorite Rogues, and the only one that had ever truly frightened him- besides the Joker, for obvious reasons. For some reason every time Dick fought Two-Face he was twelve years old again, lying broken and bloody at Batman’s feet after Dent had beaten him half to death. 

He knew he couldn’t show even a hint of that weakness in front of this new Robin. And really, refusing to track down Dent because Dick was having a bad day was a weakness of its own. No, best to get Two-Face back to Arkham now if they could. Not to mention, Halloween was coming, and Dick really didn’t want to mix his memories of Two-Face with one of Scarecrow’s fear toxins. 

Deciding not to grace Damian’s impatience with a response, Dick merely hopped into the Batmobile and fired her up. Her pleasant rumble soothed Dick, as it had ever since he was the one in the yellow, red, and green. He guided her out of the basement entrance onto Gotham’s dim city streets. Sometimes he missed the winding road to the Manor’s cave, but he had to admit the proximity to Gotham’s heart had it’s own perks. 

The Batsignal wasn’t up tonight, which left the new Dynamic Duo to find their own entertainment. 

“Robin.” Dick growled through the cowl. “Give me the rundown on Two-Face.” They’d gone over the details of this case several times already, but Dick knew the Rogues were in a different class than Damian had faced as Robin thus far. He wanted to be sure Damian knew everything he needed to succeed tonight. 

The boy sneered in annoyance. “What for? I’ve read the reports multiple times and you made me go over it with you already.”

Oh, Dick was going to regret this. He was calling it right now. He toyed briefly with the idea of just turning around and taking down some muggers, except he wasn’t sure that would actually solve anything. Damian knew they were going after Two-Face tonight, had been chafing at the bit to go after a Rogue ot two. Turning around now would just drive the boy further away. 

Still, the kid was fast approaching the end of Dick’s patience. He was doing his best not to take his problems out on Damian, but it was hard when the kid somehow knew exactly which buttons to push. Yet another thing the boy had inherited from his late father. Bruce had always been the one person who could take Dick from perfect calm to screaming rage in two seconds flat. He wasn’t proud of that fact, but it was true. Still, however much Damian might need an attitude adjustment, he didn’t deserve to bear the brunt of Dick’s flashpoint temper. Not to mention Dick always ended up saying things he regretted later. 

“Robin. Report.” Dick barked, letting the voice modulator add even more gravel to his lowered voice. It wasn’t a perfect impression yet, but it wasn’t bad either for someone whose natural range was at least an octave higher than Bruce’s. At first, Damian had scoffed at his Batman voice, but over time Dick realized it was the one he responded best to. Usually.

His hands tightened on the wheel as he awaited Damian’s reply. If Damian couldn’t obey this simple order, Dick was leaving him in the Batmobile and confronting Two-Face alone. Damian would surely enact his revenge later, but Dick wasn’t putting the kid in danger over misplaced pride. 

Damian scowled but complied. “Fine.” WHat followed was a rote memorization of the pertinent file, delivered in a tone that was just shy of smug. “Satisfied?”

Dick sighed again. It seemed Damian was determined to make everything a battle of wills. Dick just hoped some of the information had gone beyond surface level. Damian had surely faced many horrors with the League, but he hadn’t yet faced Gotham’s Rogues. They weren’t predictable foes. Damian was still too rigid in his training to have the easy adaptation a Robin needed to survive the ever-changing streets of Gotham. Not to mention the boy was still uncomfortable with Bruce’s strictly enforced no-killing rule. It made the kid hesitant- ever so slightly- but enough to matter.

If Dick had had another option, he’d have waited another month before taking Damian out after a Rogue. He didn’t. He’d just have to hope the kid was ready. 

The Batmobile skimmed past the docks, headed for Two-Face’s purported latest lair, Warehouse 222 on Pier 2. Honestly, Dick hated the number two. 

“All right Robin. Remember, recon first. We need to know exactly what Two-Face is up to before we move in. Look for a second layer to every trap, security measure, and word he says. Remember, he might be crazy, but he’s highly intelligent too. That makes him unpredictable. Don’t underestimate him.”

“I won’t.” Damian grumbled. Surprisingly, the boy waited for Dick’s signal to disembark.

Dick finished parking the Batmobile inconspicuously, signalled Damian, and hopped out himself. Pointing to the roof he wanted the younger boy to take, he chose his own vantage point and settled in to watch. He made careful note of entrances, guard rotations, and number of guards, knowing Damian was running his own tallies on the other side. 

As Dick had suspected, neither the location nor the two-bit thugs patrolling would give Batman and Robin much trouble. The real challenge would be whatever waited inside with Two-Face. However, thanks to the blacked out windows, Dick was having a hard time figuring out what that might be. They needed to get eyes inside, which would be nearly impossible without alerting the guards…unless…

Dick scanned the roof of Warehouse 222. There! Dick had bulked up enough to play Batman that he’d never fit even with his extreme flexibility, but his young Robin might just be able to squeeze through the vent shaft he had spotted. 

“Robin.” Dick clicked on his communicator. “Call in Robin. I might have a plan. Feeling skinny today?”

“Perhaps.” Damian’s voice was weirdly tinny over the speaker in the cowl. “Where?”

“Rooftop.” Dick shifted carefully, eyes sweeping said rooftop for any patrols he might have missed. “Vent shaft on the north side. Might be big enough for you to get a peek inside.” 

“I’ll take a look.”

He waited for Damian’s response warily. If Damian thought he could do it, Dick would let him go, even though it went against his instincts. He had to start trusting Damian with stuff like this. Batman and Robin had to be in sync if the Rogues were going to be starting trouble again. 

He just wished, again, that it didn’t have to be Two-Face. He’d been traumatized enough when the man had beaten him half to death. He wasn’t sure what he’d do if Harvey went after Damian in the same way. If Dick lost his Robin, he wasn’t sure he’d have the restraint to follow Batman’s strict code, even if the kid did seem to detest Dick’s very presence most days. Jason’s death had destroyed him, and he’d barely known the scrappy second Robin before. Damian, dark and damaged and begging to be loved, well, Dick was already willing to give the world to keep this kid from any further harm. He’d already sacrified for him, hurt Tim to keep the boy close, took on guardianship to gain legal rights, moved to the Penthouse to protect him. Maybe someday Damian would come to, if not love, at least find some affection for Dick in turn. 

“I can get in.” 

Dick spotted a flash of yellow. He waited with baited breath. 

“I’m going in.” Damian clicked his comm twice and then went silent. The flash of yellow disappeared. 

Dick rolled his eyes. Trying to stop Robin now would just cause a rift they didn’t need before this fight, but he’d be having words with Damian about not waiting for orders later. 

“Recon only Robin.” Dick stressed through the line. “Do not engage, I repeat do not engage anything inside the building. Report your finding only and then wait for further instructions.”

“I know.” Damian grumbled back quietly. 

Dick resisted the urge to tap his foot impatiently while he waited for Robin. He’d never been good at the ‘sitting and waiting’ part of Batman’s crusade. Damian actually tended to take it better than him, and Dick tried not to think about what the League had done to get a kid to sit so still. Dick’s Robin days had been a wriggly nightmare if Bruce could be believed. 

Dick just hoped Damian kept his good sense about him today and didn’t try to prove something by taking on Two-Face alone. With the number of guards outside it would take Dick at least five minutes to take down and secure them all. So much could happen in five minutes in a fight. Against a Rogue plus who knew how many goons without any backup, Damian would be out of his depth, regardless of his training. 

“I’m in.” Damian reported softly.

Dick let his breath out in relief. He wouldn’t have put it past Two-Face to have wired the whole place to go up or something else sinister. But Robin was fine, he had made it in.

Dick stepped forward to get a better vantage point. His foot brushed against something on the roof, still slightly clumsy in Batman’s thick boots. He glanced down.

And suddenly Dick knew why Robin hadn’t had any trouble. Two-Face wasn’t in Warehouse 222. The Rogue might not even be anywhere near this pier. Because this was a trap for Batman and Robin and Dick had walked them right into it. 

“Robin!” He shouted into the line.

That was as far as he got before the building under him exploded.


	2. Antagonists

He thought he could just hear Robin calling his name past the ringing in his ears. 

Dick had managed to fire his grapple just in time, leaping from the crumbling building with only a few singe marks on his cape and boots. Unfortunately, he hadn’t been able to place the hook carefully, and he’d slammed into the side of Warehouse 222 a lot harder than he’d meant to. 

His right side was definitely bruised. Probably a few cracked ribs too. He might have a concussion, judging from the general feeling of dizziness. He lay still for a moment, stunned, breathing as heavily as he dared around his sore ribs. His main concern now was Damian. He was so very grateful that Warehouse 222 hadn’t gone up, that he’d seen the vent and sent the boy away from a danger he hadn’t even realized existed. But presumably Two-Face would be coming to see if they were dead, and Dick couldn’t let Damian face him alone. 

They needed to get out of here. Dick needed to get patched up, figure out where thier info had gone wrong, and come back prepared. First, he had to find Robin. 

Dick moved to stand and went instantly white, biting back a groan. Ok, so maybe his collarbone was broken too. He’d had worse. Just not as Batman. Dick felt helpless panic rise for a moment as he realized he was the one who was going to have to take charge and get them out of here. There was no Bruce to save him this time. He swallowed down the feeling. He tucked his injured arm around his cracked ribs and stood straight. He might be Batman now, but he wasn’t alone. Robin needed him. Dick wasn’t going to let him down.

Thankfully, Damian chose that moment to come around the side of the warehouse. Dick pretended the look on his face was concern for Dick’s well-being. 

“Robin!” He winced as he jostled his collarbone. “I’m here.”

“I see you’re not dead.” The boy stated flatly. He seemed mercifully whole, and Dick once again thanked whatever intuition had sent Robin far from the exploding buildings. 

“Was Two-Face in 222?” If yes, Robin would hopefully have gotten the full report. If not, they needed to get out of here fast. Actually, scratch that, they needed to get out of here now regardless. Dick was in no state to fight anyone right now, and even Two-Face’s hired goons could easily overpower him.

“Neither Two-Face nor his goons were in 222.” Damian answered. “We need to find him.” He gave Dick a cursory once-over. “If you are unable to continue then go back to the cave and have Penny One patch you up. I’ll stay and take care of Dent.”

Absolutely not. Did this kid think Dick was an idiot? This Robin might be highly trained, but they’d just talked about why Rogues were different than anything the League would have had him face. Their very trademark was their unpredictability. 

“No Robin. We need to get back to the cave and regroup. It’s obvious Two-Face was prepared for us, which means who knows what else he might have planned. We head back to the Batmobile and return later when we are ready to face him.” Dick tried not to show just how much pain he was in as he straightened and started towards where they had left the car, fully expecting Robin to follow behind him. He hoped if he treated this as a done deal, Damian would comply, even if the boy didn’t like it.

No such luck. “He needs to be dealt with now.” Damian argued. “If we don’t handle him tonight than he could do irreparable harm to the city. He’s here somewhere. I can easily track him and take him out before he causes anymore trouble.” 

Dick was pretty sure the boy could care less about Gotham. He’d only been here a few weeks. 

“I’m staying and searching for Dent.” Robin said firmly.

“I said no, Robin. Get to the Batmobile.” Dick snapped, out of patience.

“Now this is a rare sight.” And out of time, it seemed. “Batman and Robin fighting like an old married couple.”

Dick bit back a curse. Two-Face had arrived. Damian’s arguing, on top of the pain Dick was trying not to show, had distracted him enough that Two-Face had managed to sneak up on them. For the first time Dick was glad Bruce wasn’t here. He would have kicked Dick’s ass for his abysmal lack of situational awareness, broken bones or not. 

No time for self-reprimand yet. Dick needed to get himself and Damian away from Two-Face and whatever horrible plans the man had in store right away. He wasn’t going to lose his Robin tonight.

“Two-Face.” Dick steeled himself and rose to his full height, carefully hiding any hint of injury as he stared menacingly at Dent. “How kind of you to throw us a party.” Ugh, no, too much Nightwing, not enough Batman. “What do you want Harvey?” Better. Much better. Now, if the kid just stayed quiet maybe Dick could get them out of here with a minimum of fighting. 

Two-Face stepped fully out of the shadows, flipping his infamous coin nonchalantly. “Well, Batsy, I heard you were looking for me. So I couldn’t help but leave you a welcoming gift. As for what I want… well. That’s for me to know and you to find out.”

“Enough Two-Face.” Dick closed his eyes as Damian’s voice rang out. “Tell us what we want to know.”

“Well!” Two-Face grinned at them, his eyes sparkling with madness. “I suppose I could let you in on my secret… for a price!”

His goons charged forward, grabbing Batman and Robin. Dick nearly passed out as one of them grabbed his bad arm, not quite able to muffle his cry as it was twisted behind him. Uninjured, Damian put up a better fight, but was also subdued. 

This time, they did enter Warehouse 222. Harvey had his minions secure them to posts near the center of the building, facing each other. Dick stared at Damian, wishing he could read the boy’s face behind Robin’s mask. He’d learned most of Damian’s tells were in his eyes, which were of course utterly useless to him now. Was the boy scared? About to mouth off? Scheming?

“You’re going to regret this, Two-Face.” Damian said darkly. Mouthing off it was. Ten points to Gryffindor. 

The boy threw a glance at Dick across the way. Dick caught the subtle twitch of his fingers that meant Robin was going for his lockpicks. It was good thinking, for the most part. But Two-Face hated having his plans thwarted. If he caught Robin the consequences would be ugly. 

Time to do what Dick did best. 

“Hey, Two-Face,” he called. “what was your plan? Blowing up the warehouses in the hope it would catch us off guard? Seems a little explosive for you. What are you getting out of all this?” 

Dick wasn’t really expecting Dent to start blabbing his secrets, but his distraction seemed to be working for the moment. Two-Face was scowling firmly in his direction and away from Robin. 

Dent let out a scoff. “You think I am going to be so easily tricked into telling you my plan? I’m not the Joker- who seems to like the sound of his own voice a little too much.”

Damian leapt. He went for Two-Face’s legs, easily landing a blow that caused Dent’s knees to buckle. The boy swiftly threw batarangs into the barrel’s of the goon’s guns, causing them to jam. One of the guns exploded and the guard who had tried to fire screamed in agony as his flesh was seared. Damian turned back to Dent, but it was too late. Robin fumed even as he raised his hands in surrender as he stared down Two-Face’s gun. 

As soon as Damian had moved, Dick had too. He’d dropped his own pick into his hand while he’d kept Dent talking, and now he worked feverishly to unlock his own cuffs. The first one clicked open as the gun exploded, and Dick took a second to smirk at the vengeance his Robin was enacting. But it wasn’t fast enough. Damian was busy with the guards, and Two-Face was already moving to get in on the action. 

As Dent raised his gun and pointed it at Damian’s chest, Dick could feel his heart pounding wildly.

“Put it down, Batman.” Two-Face said pleasantly. “Or I shoot your bird.”

Dick dropped the pick, his right hand free but the left still cuffed securely. The pick made a tiny ‘ping’ sound as it struck the bare concrete floor. 

“Good.” Two-Face sneered. “You Bats are so easy to manipulate. Just gotta threaten the smallest one.” THe Rogue motioned for Damian to move back towards his pillar, one of the goons coming up to rebind the boy. Two-Face continued musing. “I nearly killed a Robin once, you know. Maybe this time I’ll finish the job.”

Dick swallowed. This was exactly the scenario he’d been most afraid of. He had to stop Damian from getting hurt. Whatever it took, he had to protect his Robin. 

“For now,” Two-Face twirled the gun. “I think it’s high time I dealt some punishment to Robin here. Not only did he somehow escape my explosive trap without a scratch, but he has also just become a nuisance in general. Shall I relieve you of your problem child, Batman?” 

Dick had to think fast. Harvey was itching to shoot something, and he seemed to be out for bat blood tonight. But more than shooting things, Two-Face liked to play with his food. Dick could use that. It was his best shot at getting them both out of here alive. He hoped. It wasn’t like he had a lot of better options at this point.

“Shooting little birdies in cold blood now Two-Face?” Dick asked in Batman’s graveled voice. “Isn’t that a little anticlimactic?”

Two-Face pouted. “What else did you have in mind, Batsy?”

“I propose a game. Tails, you shoot Robin. Heads,” Dick took a deep breath, “you shoot me instead.”

Two-Face’s mismatched eyes gleamed as he caught on. “Well, this is a fun game. Alright Batsy. Let’s try your luck.” The coin flipped into the air.

Dick knew the moment Damian caught on. The boy shrieked, “No!” even as the coin landed. Dick met the boy's gaze, trying to reassure him. The gunshot rang out.


	3. Brothers

Somehow Dick managed not to scream as th bullet ripped through his already injured shoulder. He arched in agony, biting his lip and tasting copper.

He heard Damian shouting across from him and realized he’d lost eye contact with the boy at some point. He couldn’t remember when. He’d been shot. In the arm. His bad arm. By Two-Face? He couldn’t remember. That should worry him. There was something he needed to do. Someone he needed to protect. Wasn’t there?

He’d been standing. He din’t think he was anymore. There was blood everywhere, on his suit, on the pillar, in his mouth. His left arm hurt where it was still attached to the pillar. His other arm hurt too but he shied away from thinking about that. 

Everything was dark. It was cold. That should worry him too. 

It didn’t.

Dick gave in to the blackness.

For just a second, as what was left of the world dimmed, he thought he saw broken glass raining down from above like a hundred glittering stars.

‘Bruce came for me…’

It was his last thought.

A voice that was decidedly not Bruce woke him. “Don’t move shithead.” Dick groaned, blinking awake. He didn’t think he’d been out long. “You broke the rules.” The voice continued. “I’m the only one allowed to shoot Bats.” 

Oh. “Don’t… kill him…” Dick told Jason.

Jason made a disgruntled nose and slammed the butt of his gun into Two-Face’s skull, toppling the Rogue. Red Hood took another moment to ziptie the man before stepping over to Dick, scooping up Damian’s fallen lockpick on the way and returning it to the boy. 

He knelt in front of Dick, his eyes quickly catalouging his pathetic state. “You with me?”

Dick tried to smile. “Thanks…Hood. Owe…you one.”

“Got quite a debt going then, pretty boy.” Jason snarked back. He unlocked Dick’s remaining cuff. “Can you walk?”

Dick did his best to look affronted. “Not…carrying…Batman!” He huffed.

“Oh, so lugging Nightwing’s ass around is fine, but the big bad Bat is too good for the princess treatment, eh?”

Dick stuck out his tongue in a brilliantly childish move. “Robin okay?”

“I’m fine.” Damian answered. The boy was once again free of his cuffs, standing over Two-Face’s prone form. “What’s the plan with Two-Face? We can’t just leave him here unattended.”

“Gordon, right?” Jason said shortly, helping Dick to his feet. Dick wobbled unsteadily, and Jason slipped an arm under him to balance him. “That’s what y’all usually do when you catch one of these guys?”

“Yeah.” Dick agreed breathlessly. “Robin, call it in please?”

“Whoa there, Bats.” Jason grumbled. “I ain’t dealing with no cops. Let’s get you clear first, then we can have Gordon take out the trash. Robin, can you show me the way to the Batmobile?”

Dick sagged against Jason’s side, giving up. Not like he could do much about it at the moment. He was fairly certain his shoulder was in several pieces. 

“Oh, and Robin?” Jason continued. “Can you call Alfred? Tell him we might need Leslie.” 

Dick whined at the order. Alfred was bad enough, but if Jason was calling in their resident surgeon he was really looking awful.

Jason looked down at him. “Hey, I don’t make the rules. You take a bullet for your bird, you get to spend some quality time under Leslie’s knife. Deal with it.”

“The Batmobile is this way, Hood. I shall inform Penny One of the situation.” The boy seemed oddly subdued. Dick would have to talk to him later, once the world stopped fading in and out. 

“Shall I inform Gordon now?” Damian asked as they reached the car. 

“Yes, please, Robin. Thanks.” Dick’s speech slurred a bit. 

Jason scowled at him but didn’t protest, merely levering Dick into the driver’s seat of the Batmobile and fiddling with the autopilot. Dick grabbed a gauze pad from the car’s medkit and pressed it to his shoulder.

Jason shot him a look as he hissed in pain. “Stay awake, you hear? I don’t trust this new bird to keep you alive.” He shot an ugly look at Damian over Dick’s head. 

“He’s…not…bad kid.” Dick protested weakly.

“Yeah, well, next time you decide to get blown up and shot, you call me first, okay?” Jason rested a hand on Dick’s shoulder in a moment of uncharacteristic tenderness. Dick blinked up at him in surprise.

Damian snorted in derision.

“Get in the car kid.” Jason snapped roughly, withdrawing his hand, the moment broken. “Gonna let him bleed out too? What kinda Robin are you anyway?”

“Jay…”

Jason shook his head roughly. “See you around, Bats.” He shot out his grapple and leapt away.

Dick slumped in his seat, too tired to do anything but keep pressure and breathe. “Let’s go home, Robin.”

As the Batmobile purred towards home, Dick kept himself awake by thinking over the night’s events. Before he’d passed out, he’d been so sure Bruce had come for him, so relieved to think the man had come to save him. It had been a little devastating to wake in the knowledge that Bruce was still dead.

But someone had come. Jason had come. The relationship he’d been carefully cultivating with his first successor had paid off. While they still danced around each other, careful not to make promises they couldn’t keep, it was getting better. 

Apparently to the point where Jason cared whether Dick lived or died, which was a definite plus. 

Dick looked over at Robin. Damian was still unusually silent. None of his typical snark about Dick’s shortcomings and failures. Dick would have been glad for the change, except the boy appeared deep in unhappy thought behind his white-out lenses.

“Hey kiddo.” Dick tried. “You okay?”

“I’m fine.” 

“Okay kiddo.” Dick sighed. He wasn’t really up for pushing the prickly boy right now. He was starting to see black specks in his vision, and he dearly hoped he wouldn’t pass out again before they made it back. 

Thankfully, the penthouse was much closer than the cave. They were almost there. 

He knew Alfred and Leslie would want him to stay in for weeks after this, but he was already planning on slipping out at the first opportunity. He needed to talk to Jay, find out where they stood now. 

He would be planning to talk to Damian first, except he wasn’t sure forcing the boy was a good idea. Damian could be wildly unpredictable. He’d just have to hope the boy would approach him if something were truly wrong.

Dick was so very grateful to see the new cave. Damian hopped out of the car immediately. Alfred approached the driver’s side swiftly, leaning in. 

“Can you walk, Master Richard?” The butler asked. 

Too tired to properly respond, Dick just nodded and swung his legs from the car, using Alfred’s steady arm to balance as he stood. Much like Jason had earlier, Alfred slipped a guiding arms across his shoulders as they made their wobbling way to the medbay, where Dick could see Leslie already waiting. 

“Are you injured at all, Master Damian?” Alfred asked over his shoulder as he helped Dick sit down on the bed. 

“No, I am unharmed Pennyworth.” Damian replied listlessly.

Dick frowned. He wasn’t sure what was bothering Robin but it was becoming more and more clear that something was. He doubted it was fear, as Damian had been in far worse situations. Perhaps anger? Jason had been a little blunt. But Damian’s anger tended to be sharp. Whatever emotion this was, it was dull and tired. 

“Come on Master Richard.” Alfred said soothingly, breaking Dick from his thoughts. “Lay back, there you go.”

Dick smiled weakly at him, putting Damian out of his head for the moment as he let Alfred and Leslie get to work. The cool relief of morphine slid through his veins, and Dick once again surrendered to the darkness.

This time seemed to last a bit longer. When Dick came to, his shoulder was wrapped and immobilized, and Alfred and Leslie was talking quietly near the computer. Soft footfalls sounded, and Damian emerged from the showers, looking as if he wished to escape the cave quietly.

No such luck. “Hey kiddo.” Dick croaked. Mmm, morphine was nice. He made a mental note to thank Leslie later. “Come here a sec.” He shifted slightly on the bed, grimacing as the layers of bandages around his arm scrunched up uncomfortably. He’d be wearing a sling and brace for a month at least. He’d have to find a way to reinforce the shoulders on the suit so Batman could go out. Leslie wouldn’t be happy about his blatant disregard for his body, but it wasn’t like Dick had a ready-made successor in place. He’d been Bruce’s backup, and now he was alone. 

Well, not totally alone. He had Damian, even if the boy hadn’t really warmed up to him yet. He just needed to find a way to show the boy that he wasn’t alone either.

Damian hesitated, but approached the bed. He wouldn’t make eye contact, but his eyes swept over the rest of Dick critically.

“You okay kiddo? I know tonight didn’t go as planned.”

“I’m fine.” Damian dismissed, again. “I only stopped to make sure you weren’t dead. I’ll leave now.”

Dick reached out with his good hand. “Look. Damian, I’m drugged up, I’m tired, and I need to think of how to explain this injury to the Wayne Enterprises board at the meeting I need to be at in six hours. If you really want to leave, I’m not going to stop you. But if you need someone to talk to, I’m here, okay? I know I’m not your dad, but I do care about you. And not just as Batman and Robin. Something is bothering you, kiddo, and I’d like to help if you’ll let me.”

For a moment, Dick was worried he’d said too much. He was a talker on his best days, and the morphine was definitely helping to loosen his tongue. So much for not pushing Damian to talk.

Damian let out a deep breath. “Why did you do it?”

Dick raised an eyebrow at the boy, thinking over the night’s events. He couldn’t remember doing anything to upset Damian, but there were definitely a few fuzzy minutes in there.

“Why did I do what kiddo?” Oh, maybe… “I didn’t call Jason. Alfred did. We missed a check in while I was getting blown up so Alfred sent for backup. I’m sorry if he upset you.” Dick was going to have to talk to Jason about being gentle with Damian. They were all fragile in their own ways, but Dick suspected Jason and Damian in particular could badly wound one another without even trying. 

“No, that’s not…” Damian growled, frustrated. “I don’t care that Todd showed up.” The boy swallowed. “Why did you tell Two-Face to shoot you instead of me?” He stared into Dick’s eyes, as if searching for something.

Dick blinked back at the boy. “What?” His mind caught up slowly. “Well, I wasn’t gonna let him shoot you, kiddo. You’re my Robin. I protect the city, but I also protect you. I know our partnership has been a little rocky so far, but I hope you know that if I can ever prevent you from getting hurt- by any means- then I will. I’d step in front of a hundred bullets for you, kiddo.” Dick shifted again, trying to find a comfortable position for his arm. He tried to convey his sincerity to Damian through his eyes. He knew the boy wasn’t quite ready for declarations of familial love, but if Dick couldn’t say it yet, he could at least try to show it. 

Damian gaped at him. “You…but why?” The boy asked, confusion clear in his tone. Then he glanced downwards, as if uncomfortable. “I…I’ll leave you alone now.” He turned to leave.

“You can stay if you want.” Dick tried to sound nonchalant. “I wouldn’t mind the company.” 

He doubted Damian would, but he needed the boy to know that Dick would never send him away, never not want to spend time with him. He carefully avoided meeting Damian’s eyes, not wanting to pressure the boy and simultaneously preparing himself gor the disappointment when the boy left. One bullet couldn’t erase the gulf between them.

Damian clicked his tongue quietly. After a brief hesitantion, he moved to the chair beside the bed. “I’m only staying because you seem desperate for company, Grayson.”

Dick couldn’t quite hide his grin as Damian curled up in the chair. Maybe there was hope for them after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Whoo! Longest fic yet. Thanks again to RogueofShadows, my partner in the RP that inspired this fic. She just joined me here on AO3, so she doesn't have anything published yet, but when she does y'all should definitely check her out. 
> 
> While you are here, I have a request. I'm trying to write a Dick and Tim fic, but I'm having a really hard time getting into Tim's head for some reason. Can any of you recommend some amazing Tim POV fics? I would like to start including him in more of my stories, but I want to be able to do him justice. Thanks! Until next time. ~Alanna


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